1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus for executing jobs that are set.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus (e.g., printer, copier) often includes an operation panel and has a communication function for communicating with a terminal(s) via a network. The user can instruct jobs to be executed via the control panel, obtain data of the status of the image forming apparatus (e.g., amount of remaining toner) from a terminal, and allow the data to be displayed on the terminal.
Because data to be displayed as a default on an application screen (e.g., copy, document, printer, transmission) of the control panel differs depending on the user, users or administrators may desire to set the application screen of the control panel beforehand, so that the application screen displayed on the control panel is customized for each user or administrator. In response to such desire, there is a known image forming apparatus enabling an initial display screen to be set by users and administrators, so that the initial display screen is customized for each user. The image forming apparatus has a UI customizing function that enables each user to set an initial display screen when logging in to the image forming apparatus.
As a terminal that allows a user to operate an image forming apparatus from a distant area, portable terminals (e.g., smart phones and tablets) are widely used in addition to personal computers (PCs). Thus, there is a known method for providing position data of an image forming apparatus, so that the user of a portable terminal can easily find the image forming apparatus (see, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-195765). Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-195765 discloses a position confirmation printer system in which: a portable terminal transmits position data to a network server; then, the network server uses a map data searching and a printer position data searching unit to generate a list of locations of printers near the portable terminal (in an order starting from the printer nearest to the portable terminal) based on the transmitted position data; and then, the network server transmits the list to the portable terminal.
However, with the image forming apparatus according to a related art, the user is required to control the image forming apparatus by using a PC or a portable terminal in a case of operating from a distant area whereas the user is required to operate on an operation panel installed in the image forming apparatus in a case of instructing execution of a job. Thus, the user is required to adaptively use separate different operation devices depending on the situation of using the image forming apparatus.
For example, the user is required to operate on an application screen (desired by the user) displayed on a control panel in a case of instructing execution of a job to the image forming apparatus whereas the user is required to view a screen of a terminal and operate on the terminal in a case of operating the image forming apparatus.
Although the user can use the operation panel of the image forming apparatus to perform both instructing of execution of a job and confirming some of the statuses of the image forming apparatus, it is necessary for the user to switch between a job execution screen and a status confirmation screen by operating on the operation panel. However, this leads to problems such as increase in the number of steps required to perform a given operation and increase of the difficulty of operating the operation panel. From this aspect, it may be advantageous to separately operate an operation device and the operation panel of the image forming apparatus depending on usage. Thereby, the user can quickly find a desired function or screen by adaptively using both the control panel and the terminal.